Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta profile picture

Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta

Afro Latino Soul music from New York City

About Me


FOR BOOKINGS: [email protected]
Bryan Vargas & Ya Está invoke the spirits with the rumble of drums and the screams of distorted guitars. Rumba, Mambo and Son get electrified into a new school Latino groove. This band creates some serious party music, all while giving props to the Orishas.Playing a unique style of music they call simply "Afro Latino Soul", you can forget the pop stars, this is the REAL Latin music revolution.
¡Ya Está!, have appeared in front of capacity crowds at Central Park Summerstage, Prospect Park Bandshell, the Knitting Factory, SOB's and many more.
Ya Está's debut CD "Afro Latino Soul", produced by latin jazz great Arturo O'Farrill was released on June 1st 2004. You can hear Ya Está, and learn more at yaestamusica.com.
"...imagine Jimi Hendrix jamming with the Buena Vista Social Club If you believe that great music begins at a popular level, then you should listen to Bryan Vargas & Ya Está," - NY Newsday
"...infectious percussive assaults...that thump to a downtown funk undercurrent" - Village Voice
"Ya Está's music brought me back to my naked pagan roots..." - Un Chín Magazine
OFFICIAL YA ESTA WEBSITE:
http://www.yaestamusica.com
OFFICIAL YA ESTA MAILING LIST:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/yaestalist
YA ESTA SONICBIDS EPK:
http://www.sonicbids.com/YaEst
BUY YA ESTA’S CD:
http://www.cdbaby.com/bvargas
BUY OUR CD RIGHT NOW FROM CDBABY.COM

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 11/11/2005
Band Website: yaestamusica.com
Band Members: Bryan Vargas - guitar & lead vocals

Ernesto Abreu - percussion & backing vocals

Matt Baranello - drums & percussion

Matt Hilgenberg - trumpet & backing vocals

Toshi Someya - bass

Jorge Vazquez - percussion & backing vocals

Ya Esta live at Musikfest, Bethlehem PA - Summer 2004

Add to My Profile
Influences: Eddie Palmieri, Jimi Hendrix, Cortijo y su Combo, Mongo Santamaria, Fishbone, Ray Barretto, Hector LaVoe, Los Van Van, Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, Caetano Veloso, Elis Regina, Salif Keita, Orchestra Baobob, Super Rail Band, Bembeya Jazz, Grant Green, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cachao, Hermeto Pascoal, James Brown, Fela Kuti
Sounds Like: Ozomatli, Marc Ribot & Los Cubanos Prostizos, Santana, Buena Vista Social Club, Beat the Donkey, Antibalas, Jerry Gonzalez & Fort Apache, Jorge Ben, Gilberto Gil, Seu Jorge, Irakere, Fania All Stars, Yerba Buena
Record Label: Mofongo Music & Media
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

The Knitting Factory & Thoughts on Change

There's a article in today's NY Times about the Knitting Factory.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/10/arts/music/10knit. html?ref=artsThis is a club that has a very special meaning to me. It's the place w...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:55:00 PST

Israel Cachao Lopez

I write this post with a heavy heart. One of the great maestros of Afro Cuban music has passed on. Rest In Peace Israel "Cachao" Lopez.We all knew he was very old. 89 in fact. But somehow he seemed im...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:14:00 PST

Tufiño, Rest In Peace

The great Puerto Rican artist Rafael Tufiño died yesterday. Tufiño was literally a national treasure for Puerto Rico, and his loss will be felt greatly in the arts world. His world rivaled that of an...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:56:00 PST

Tata Guines Rest In Peace

May the spirit of maestro Tata Guines rest in peace as he joins the great rumba in the sky.Check out this great clip of him passing on some knowledge. It's a great reminder that without Tata Guines, M...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:28:00 PST

Carlos "Patato" Valdez.

Rest in Peace Carlos "Patato" Valdez.We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.I'm going to listen to Patato Y Totico today and imagine the rumba going down right now in heaven.-Bryan ...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Wed, 05 Dec 2007 04:19:00 PST

BOBBY BYRD

So many greats are passing at what seems to be an alarming rate... it really makes you wonder.I just read on the Soul Sides blog that Bobby Byrd passed away. Who is Bobby Byrd? Man, you ALL know who h...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Thu, 13 Sep 2007 11:03:00 PST

Joe Zawinul

There are certain artists that for some reason or another it seems like they've been around forever. By that same token, it almost feels like they'll always be around. So when one of these iconic gr...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:22:00 PST

Hilly Kristal, RIP - Long live CBGB’s

REST IN PEACE HILLY KRISTAL!!NY TIMES VIDEO ON HILLY & CB'SNY TIMES OBIT FOR HILLY KRISTALLONG LIVE CBGB'S!!!!...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:21:00 PST

Max Roach, Rest In Peace

We have lost yet another of the greats. Max Roach, one of the all time finest jazz drummers, passed away today.Max Roach was a true innovator of bebop drumming. Along with his contemporaries like Roy ...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:34:00 PST

Mario Rivera, El Comandante, Rest In Peace

Mario Rivera, El Comandante, Rest In PeaceAnother of the masters has passed. I just received word that Mario Rivera, AKA El Comandante passed away today from cancer.Mario Rivera is one of the unsung g...
Posted by Bryan Vargas & Ya Esta on Fri, 10 Aug 2007 02:35:00 PST